Clenching my jaw, I bowed and back down the steps. “My king.”

Turning sharply, I marched from the throne room. The only reason I was permitted to come to this damn ceremony was that he needed my magic to help power the barrier. Going upstairs, I entered my room and slammed the door behind me. I took off my crown and hurled it across the bed. It wasn’t my fault that the ceremony made me sick. The king wasn’t immune from the effects, either. I ripped off the rest of the jewelry and threw it on the floor along with my coat. After tossing my vest onto the pile, I collapsed onto my bed. 

My siblings’ magic wasn’t as strong as mine. I wished they were stronger than me, then I’d never have to bother with these theatrical shows of power. I just wanted them to feel a small amount of my pain afterward, so they’d stop ridiculing me for getting sick. I unbuttoned the top two buttons of my shirt. Falling back, I closed my eyes. What I needed to learn was healing magic. That was the one area where Suzette excelled. It was a technique that requires patience and precision. Both were not my strengths. 

It was helping my headache to lay there with my eyes closed. Music was filtering in the room from the hallway. With time, the magic settled in my chest, and the pulsing began to fade. Sitting up, I stretched out my neck as a light breeze rustled the curtains and cooled my burning skin.

I twisted my hand, and the lock to the door leading to the hallway slid into place. Moving to the floor, I lifted up the floorboard under my bed that I had worked free as a child. The space was lined with books. I took out the one that I was currently reading. Going onto the balcony, I flew onto the roof and landed in a small nook. I opened it to my bookmark. The image on the page showed a diagram of a lizard compared to a horse. Its back would’ve rub against the horse’s stomach if it walked under it. The idea was slightly terrifying, but I still wanted to see one. 

I flipped through the rest of the lizard section. With a sigh, I peered off across the kingdom. There was a whole world outside the barrier. A dark world that was waiting for a chance to destroy Sarid. I read the description of the bright red creature. I didn’t really want to worry about giant lizards, but it would be exciting to see some of the animals inside the books I’d collected over the years. 

“Tolcan!” called Suzette. “Tolcan.”

Rising to my feet, I slid down the roof and dropped off the edge. 

She raised an eyebrow. “What were you doing up there?”

“Getting some fresh air.”

She held out her hand. “You know better. These books are to remain in the archive.”

I handed it to her. “Fancy word for prohibited reading.”

“This is not our world.” She held up the book. “They were collected to keep people from trying to get through the barrier. Being a prince doesn’t mean you don’t have to obey the rules.”

With a sigh, I nodded. “Sorry.” I slipped by her and went to sit on the bed. “Curiosity got the better of me.”

“That’s the point. Curiosity leads to doing something that could threaten Sarid.” She sat beside me. “Maybe you should focus on other types of literature.”

Groaning, I laid down and draped an arm over my eyes. “You’re making my headache come back.”

“Tolcan.” She squeezed my knee. “Father wants to see you succeed. You have such talent but lately, you’re not even trying to master any new techniques.”

“I know he’s frustrated with me. I just don’t see the point. I’ve learned what I wanted to already.”

“You need to learn everything to be a king.”

I scoffed. “Albern is well ahead of me then.”

“Stop comparing yourself to him.”

“Why? It’s one thing we can all agree on.”

She grabbed my arm and pulled me upright. “How bad is it?”

“It was starting to go away but it’s coming back.” I rubbed between my eyes. 

Suzette cupped my face. She pressed her finger to my forehead and whispered the spell. I didn’t understand it. Then again, spells weren’t meant to be understood but felt. A calming and cooling presence spread through my skull. 

Falling forward, I rested my head on her shoulder. “Thank you.”

“Better?”

“So much better.”

“Good.” She gave me a hug. “Get some rest, alright?”

I removed my shoes and laid down. 

Suzette grabbed the book. “Don’t be wandering off.” She shot me a grin before leaving the room.

Smiling at the empty spot on my bookshelf, I listened to her footsteps fade away before reaching under my pillow and taking out the lizard book. One technique I knew very well was illusions.